Pamela C

Toronto, ON – I trained as an industrial engineer. Typical jobs for graduates include the manufacturing, supply chain and banking industries. I opted to take the road less travelled and enter into healthcare after I learned of an opportunity at The Scarborough Hospital, where Canada Health Infoway was funding an Innovation and Adoption Project in the emergency department. The work involved the application of my industrial engineering skills and new technologies such as electronic kiosks to transform both the nursing triage process and the relationship between patients and clinicians. Not only did this provide me the opportunity to develop my skills as an industrial engineer, it also showed me the role that technology can play in an integrative solution. My work on the project ignited my passion to work in healthcare and the experience opened many new opportunities. I went on to pursue a Master’s degree in industrial engineering with a focus on healthcare systems and now work on corporate and strategic projects within a hospital. This original investment has had a dramatic effect on the trajectory of my career. Beyond leading me to work in a field I love, it has also taught me the important role of technology investment in improving healthcare. Much of my current work involves identifying and applying new technologies to help provide clinicians with more time to spend on direct patient care through an initiative called Releasing Time to Care. This gives me the satisfaction of both further developing my skills and contributing to better patient care.